[1] St Mary's foundation stone was laid on 12 July 1860 by Joseph Frederick Ledsam,[3] and the Bishop of Worcester, the Right Reverend Henry Philpott, consecrated the church on 12 September 1861.

[4] The chancel roof was decorated with flowers in gold and colours, painted on a blue ground between the rafters.

In the transepts and nave the roof timbers are exposed and in the chancel they are gilded and painted in heraldic colours of red, blue, green, white and gold.

For St Mary's centenary in 1961 the interior was reordered and redecorated under the direction of the architect Stephen Dykes Bower.

[7] At the same time painted, sculpted rood was removed from the chancel arch and transferred to Holy Trinity parish church, Hadley, Shropshire.

[8] Since 1982 the building has been Grade II listed[1] In the 1980s a set of olive wood Stations of the Cross was installed.

[citation needed] There are nine stained-glass windows by Hardman & Co. At the church's consecration on 12 September 1861 the tower had one bell.

[17] In 1887 the parish commemorated the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria by adding two more bells, increasing them to a ring to eight that was first rung on 20 June 1887.

[citation needed] In 1922 the bells were found to be unsafe to ring, and they were silent for a decade until enough money was raised for rectification work.

Other choral occasions include the Christmas Festival of Lessons and Carols, and a passion cantata, such as Stainer's Crucifixion, in Holy Week.